INQUIRER.NET FILE PHOTO
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The crisis spawned by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to affect businesses in Cebu and Bohol provinces leaving hundreds unemployed.
In January 2021, the Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas (DOLE-7) reported having issued over 1,000 certificates of unemployment (COU) to affected workers in the two provinces.
DOLE-7, in a statement issued on Saturday, February 6, stated that most of the COU applicants came from the three largest cities of Cebu province – Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu.
“In his report, TCFO (Tri-City Field Office) Chief Emmanuel Y. Ferrer cited that since 4 January 2021, their Office has already issued a total of 1,294 COUs or Certificates of Involuntary Separation to affected workers,” the agency said.
Meanwhile, DOLE-7’s field offices in Bohol and Cebu provinces also gave out 55 and 28 COUs respectively in January.
Involuntary separation topped the reasons behind the unemployment of over 1,000 workers in Central Visayas, DOLE-7 added. This is followed by closure of businesses, redundancy, economic downturn, and illness of workers.
DOLE-7 Director Salome Siaton said they are still collating data from the other two provinces in Central Visayas, which are Siquijor and Negros Oriental, before they will be able to give a clearer picture of region’s current unemployment rate.
“We are closely monitoring the turnout of COU applications because this will give us an idea of the extent of unemployment occurring in the different provinces in Central Visayas,” said Siaton.
COUs are issued to workers to assist them in applying for payment of unemployment insurance or involuntary separation benefits from social security agencies.
RELATED STORY: Minimum wage hike needs careful study; might force businesses to close — DOLE
/ dcb